Friday, February 26, 2016

5 Places to Play Golf While the Dollar is Strong

Remember the great Kool & The Gang song "Celebration"?Well, it's time to start singing it: "Let's celebrate, it's all right...."The U.S. dollar has been gaining strength of late and I've got a list of countries where the golf is superb at a very happy price (when you consider the excellent exchange rates).Here are Five places to consider:CANADA--The U.S. dollar has been steadily progressing against the Canadian dollar for the past five years so it's a great time to visit up north. Better still, Canadians love to swing the sticks, and I don't just mean hockey sticks. There's great golf all over the country from the picturesque layouts in British Columbia on the west coast to Banff Springs and Jasper Lodge in Alberta to excellent courses in and around Toronto and, the latest rage, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs in Nova Scotia.MEXICO--Bueno, Bueno, Bueno...The U.S. dollar to the Mexican Peso has risen more than 22% in value since February 2015. If you've been thinking about playing golf in Mexico, now is a great time with excellent value. You can tee up in all sorts of settings ranging from the all-inclusives in Cancun and Riviera Maya to Puerto Vallarta and the stunning, ruggedly beautiful courses in Los Cabos where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean.SOUTH AFRICA--If you enjoy stunningly picturesque golf courses, world class wines, luxury hotels and game lodges and safaris where you can see the Big 5 (elephant, leopard, buffalo, lion and rhino), you'll absolutely love South Africa. Whether you decide to tee up in the Las Vegas-like Sun City area near Johannesburg in the north or the Garden Route between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth in the south, or both, you'll find excellent golf courses and great deals on hotels, dining and wine thanks to the favorable exchange rate.THAILAND--Since February last year (2015), the U.S. dollar is worth about 10% more against the Thai Baht. Golf in Thailand ranges from the luxury beach/golf resorts in the south to the mountainous surroundings in the north. You can also tee up in Bangkok an Pattaya. In fact, there are more than 60 courses near Bangkok. Thailand has a great golf tradition dating back to 1923 so the sport is well ingrained in the tourism infrastructure. Top courses to play include Ayodhya Links, Amata Spring and Alpine Golf Club.TURKEY--The U.S. dollar is favorable against the Turkish lira right now. While golfers don't immediately think of Turkey as a golf destination, the country has quietly emerged as a great place to combine a beach/golf excursion. The Turkish Riviera on the country's southern coast has 14 golf courses with designer tags like Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and David Feherty.